The extent of the sea ice in the Arctic reached a new record low in September 2012. Climate change is melting the sea ice in the region at a rate much faster than estimated by earlier projections. The snow cover also shows a downward trend. The melting Arctic might impact not only the people living in the region, but also elsewhere in Europe and beyond.
The correct answer to this open question is the following.
The paragraphs in this excerpt from the article "The Melting Arctic," from the European Environmental Agency that rely on expert opinion to support the organization's point of view are the following.
"There is substantial uncertainty about how much the sea levels might actually increase." This statement was made by Professor David Vaughan, while he was delivering his speech about the research.
The other paragraph is "Changes in the climate and cryosphere risk fundamentally altering the Arctic ecosystem." This statement was made by Professor Morten Olsen.
The importance of these statements is that they were made by experts on the subject of climate change, supported by the European Environment Agency.
